Ill. Senate Begins Blagojevich Proceedings

The Corruption Case

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  Senate Democrats Expect to Seat Burris

  Senate leaders agreed to accept Roland Burris's appointment, ending a standoff with Illinois Gov. Blagojevich.

• Ill. House Counsel to Prosecute Impeachment Trial

  The lawyer for the Illinois House Democrats has been chosen to present the case against Blagojevich.

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  Illinois House Impeaches Blagojevich

  The Illinois House voted to impeach Blagojevich, setting the stage for a state Senate trial after the governor's arrest on corruption charges.

  • Video: Protestors Call for Blagojevich Resignation

• Burris's Appointment Backed by Illinois Court

  The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Burris's Senate appointment is valid even without the secretary of state's signature. Sen. Durbin said the ruling has created an impasse over seating Burris.

  • Discuss: Can he be an effective senator?

• Panel Urges Blagojevich Impeachment

  An Illinois House panel voted unanimously to recommend that the full House impeach Blagojevich. (Report text)

• Ill. Secretary of State Won't Sign On to Burris Appointment

  Illinois's secretary of state said he has no intention of signing papers deemed necessary for the appointment of Roland Burris, Blagojevich's pick for the Senate.

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  Democrats Retreat on Burris

  Senate Democrats and Obama backed down from a political fight with Blagojevich's appointee to fill the president-elect's seat.

  • Video: Chicagoans Weigh In on Burris
  • Discuss: Could he be an effective senator?

• Blagojevich Opposes Wiretaps Release

  Blagojevich's lawyers told a court that the governor objects to the release of federal wiretaps to a legislative committee studying whether to impeach him.

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  Reid Appears to Give Burris an Opening

  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the chamber has the authority to block the appointment of Roland Burris but left open the possibility that he could still be seated.

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  Burris Wages Fight for Obama's Seat

  Roland Burris battled to win certification amid doubts over whether he will take office when Congress convenes Tuesday.

• Burris Predicts Senators Will Relent, Let Him Serve

  Roland Burris suggested he would challenge an effort to block his appointment to Obama's Senate seat and said he's confident he'll be allowed to take the job.

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  Blagojevich Taps Burris for Senate

  Blagojevich picked an ex- Illinois attorney general to fill Obama's Senate seat, but opposition made it unclear if the appointee would get the job.

  • Video Analysis: Blagojevich's Senate Pick
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  Illinois's No. 2 Predicts Governor's Impeachment

  The Illinois lieutenant governor expects Blagojevich to be impeached by the state House and convicted by the Senate, clearing the way for an election to fill Obama's Senate seat.

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  Blagojevich's Lawyer Claims Lack of Evidence

  Blagojevich's attorney offered a report by Obama's team to bolster his case that there's insufficient evidence to impeach the Illinois governor.

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  Law May Have Aided Blagojevich in Plot

  President-elect Obama helped enact an Illinois good-government reform measure in 2003 that appeared to inadvertently have aided Gov. Blagojevich in an alleged corruption scheme.

• Obama, Two Aides Questioned in Probe

  Obama and two top advisers were questioned by prosecutors in the Blagojevich case last week. In a memo, Obama's transition team denied any improper contact with the Illinois governor. (Report)

  • Video: Report Finds No Quid Pro Quo Contacts
  • Discuss: How would you gauge Obama's response?
  • Prosecutor Limits Impeachment Probe

• Illinois Committee Won't Subpoena Obama Advisers

  The Illinois House committee probing a possible impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich won't subpoena two incoming White House advisers.

• Blagojevich Impeachment Faces Limits

  Federal prosecutors are asking the committee studying impeachment of Illinois Gov. Blagojevich not to dig into criminal charges against the governor.

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  Quick Ouster of Blagojevich Unlikely

  Chances that Illinois would swiftly oust its governor faded as the new lawyer for Gov. Blagojevich arrived at the state capitol with a host of objections to the impeachment process.

  • Scandal Affects Funding for Sick Kids

• Blagojevich Scandal Affects Funds for Sick Kids

  The $8 million in new state money that Blagojevich allegedly tied to a $50,000 contribution from a children's-hospital executive would have provided treatment to the sickest and poorest children in Illinois.

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  Lawmakers Reject Election for Ill. Seat

  State Democrats slammed the door on a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama, reversing calls for a vote and ending a rare sense of statewide bipartisanship that followed Blagojevich's arrest.

  • Law Blog: Blagojevich's New Legal Firepower
  • Process to Oust Blagojevich Starts
  • Complete Coverage: Rod Blagojevich
  • Discuss: How's Obama handling the Blagojevich scandal?

• The Political Fallout

• Illinois Racing Law May Be Tainted by Charges

  A federal affidavit alleges Blagojevich attempted to pressure a horse-racing official for a contribution in return for the governor's signature on legislation.

• Report Arrives on Obama-Blagojevich Contacts

  Obama's office is set to release a report giving a full accounting of contacts with Blagojevich, and Obama aides say the official under the most scrutiny -- Rahm Emanuel -- will be exonerated after weeks of innuendo. | Video

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  Obama Team Delays Releasing Findings

  Obama's transition said an analysis of its contacts with Blagojevich's staff found no inappropriate discussions, but delayed the release of the findings at the request of the U.S. Attorney's office. (Statement)

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  Emanuel, Blagojevich Aides Talked Seat

  Obama had begun thinking about his Senate successor even before the election, and dispatched Rahm Emanuel days after the vote to contact aides of Blagojevich to begin talking up candidates.

  • Political Wisdom: Is Illinois the Most Corrupt?
  • Wash Wire: Story Behind the Rushed Blago Bust

• Illinois Will Revive Bond Sale

  Illinois officials said they will proceed with a $1.4 billion short-term bond sale that was postponed last week after the arrest of Gov. Blagojevich on corruption charges.

• Obama to List Contacts With Illinois Governor

  Obama promised to release in the next few days a list of contacts between his transition staff and staff or emissaries of Blagojevich.

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  Obama Says Staff Not Involved in Scandal

  Obama vowed there is no connection between his incoming administration and the pay-to-play tactics Illinois Gov. Blagojevich is accused of using.

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  Rezko Emerges With Central Role in Case

  The Blagojevich pay-to-play case puts another Chicago figure back in the spotlight: developer Antoin Rezko, a onetime Obama fund-raiser who was convicted in June of influence peddling.

  • Wash Wire: Rezko's Sentencing Is Delayed
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  Graft Case Touches Jackson Jr.

  The scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Blagojevich threatened to taint rising Democratic star Jesse Jackson Jr. and pull in one of the nation's biggest labor unions.

  • Law Blog: Meet Blagojevich's Lawyer
  • FBI Charges | Highlights | Video

• Chicago's Political Celebrations Give Way to Shame

  The pride that has surged through Chicago since Obama's victory is showing signs of deflating now that political corruption has returned to center stage in Illinois.

  • Video: Shadow Cast by Blagojevich Scandal

• Jackson Jr. Denies Role in Scandal

  Amid the scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Jesse Jackson Jr. said he's been assured by prosecutors that he's not a target of the investigation.

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  Tribune Finds Big News on Doorstep

  A day after the parent company of the Chicago Tribune tipped into bankruptcy, the paper found itself in the middle of one of the biggest hometown political stories in decades.